Australian captain cannot overcome back injury in time to take on England.
Aussie skipper Michael Clarke has been ruled out of his side’s first Champions Trophy clash against England at Birmingham tomorrow.
Clarke has been battling the latest incident up of his back injury, which has troubled him throughout much of his career.
Despite undergoing intensive physiotherapy to treat the problem, Clarke would not have been able to bat or field with free movement.
If the problem continues to cause Clarke problems, the Australian’s may opt to rest him from the entire Champions Trophy tournament, with a view of having him right to tackle the back-to-bask Ashes series.
“Unfortunately he’s had this plenty of times so we know where he needs to be,” team physio Alex Kountouris said.
“So we’re trying to get to that stage and then go through a series of tests, get him running, get him batting, get him doing things that he would normally do.
“We know how it plays out and we know the treatment he needs to get him right.
“But being such a short tournament we’re racing against time.
“He needs to be training at full intensity before we get him on the park.”
Clarke would have been a timely inclusion for the Australia side as they struggle for form in the top-order, after they were rolled for the humbling total of just 65 against India in a warm-up match for the tournament.
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